Apparently They Never Were Engaged
by lilkawa
Summary: As Elizabeth waited for the shoe to drop, she knew with awful clarity that he was breaking up with her; she thought to herself that she'd never actually been in a situation like that in her whole life. It was awful.


_Pride and Prejudice_ doesn't belong to me.

Thank you Miriam1 for all your help.

**Apparently They Never Were Engaged**

Elizabeth got out of the house and made her way towards George's car which she could see parked in the driveway. She was dressed in her favourite blue dress as well as Jane's chic off-white wool coat to guard against the wind.

She wondered why George hadn't come to pick her from the door as he usually did, since he had called her when he'd arrived and told her that he was going to wait in the car; in addition to that, he didn't open the door for her to join him. Instead he watched her open the door while he spoke on his phone.

"I'm sorry," he leaned over and pecked her cheek, "the call was important."

She looked at him then and noticed that he looked strained, there was something bothering him, but when he smiled Elizabeth thought to herself that she was probably overthinking things.

He started the car and said with a cheerfulness that seemed forced to her, "I made reservations at that new place in Chelsea," and without giving her a chance to reply, he began to talk about his day. George worked as a doctor at St. Mary's, one of the big hospitals in London. She listened, making the appropriate responses and he finally paused, she told him about her day instead.

Elizabeth worked at her family's florist shop. They grew most of the flowers themselves; her parents were avid gardeners, while the girls – Elizabeth had four sisters – took charge of the selling, arrangements and other aspects of the business. It was pretty successful and most of them enjoyed the work, well apart from Lydia, her youngest sister, who often bemoaned her parents' lack of style. "Why couldn't you have chosen a more glamourous line of work?" she'd often been heard asking them, forgetting that said unglamourous line of work paid for her every whim.

They made the rest of the drive in silence.

"This is some place," Elizabeth told him. The restaurant was absolutely breathtaking.

"I thought you'd like it," George smiled at her. When he smiled like that, Elizabeth forgot all her doubts and she told herself that his unusual actions earlier were a figment of her over-active imagination.

The meal was delicious and they talked of impersonal things – of everything and everyone but themselves. They were drinking their coffee when Elizabeth said:

"Do you remember how you promised Mum that you'd get her those vases and things she wanted?"

"Yes," George replied immediately.

"So, why don't we drive over tomorrow?" She asked him. "It's been a while seen you've come to the gardens," and a few seconds after she suggested it, she wished it unsaid; she had seen the irritation, annoyance and panic that flushed on his face.

"I couldn't possibly," he mumbled quickly.

Elizabeth decided to take charge of the situation. "George, what is it? I know you have something to tell me, so just say it already."

George couldn't meet her eyes. "I'm afraid I've been a bit of an… I've acted like a complete fool."

"I'm sure I'll agree with you as soon as I know what you've done," Elizabeth told him calmly.

As Elizabeth waited for the inevitable shoe to drop, she knew with awful clarity that George was breaking up with her; she thought to herself that she'd never actually been in a situation like that in her whole life.

It was awful.

Absolutely horrible.

"I'm actually getting married. To Mary King, Sir Richard's daughter." Sir Richard King was the chief of medicine at the hospital where George worked, so of course it made perfect sense.

"Congratulations," Elizabeth said in cool, composed voice. She couldn't believe she was that calm. "Have you known her long?"

"About two years." He seemed relieved that she hadn't made a fuss.

Elizabeth wanted to shout, to scream at him; they had been dating for three years and he'd been seeing someone else for two of those years. How could she not have known?

"You have to understand Lizzie, I wasn't really two-timing you or anything like that," he seemed to be in earnest which was very ridiculous, "but you have to know that we – you and I – never really talked about marriage, and I need to make my way in the world. Meet the right people, get some money and possessions."

Elizabeth knew that she shouldn't but she asked anyway, "Do you love her?"

George prickled. "I – I like her very much."

Elizabeth forced a smile. "I guess we better get out of here."

When they arrived at Elizabeth's home George touched her arm before she could get out of the car. "You know that's what's wrong with you – you didn't even scream at me or call me names, you're so straitlaced."

"I guess that's a good thing, isn't it?"

000

"Oh Lizzie," Jane hugged her sister. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I," Elizabeth said, tears running down her cheeks, "so am I."

The next day Elizabeth was surprised to see George walk into the shop. Luckily, she was the only person in the shop at the time. Jane, Mary and Kitty were in the back, and there were no customers.

"George," she greeted him, and continued writing.

He stood infront of her and said, "I'm sorry Elizabeth, I should have told you sooner, but it's not as if we were serious or anything like that. We never talked about marriage."

"Which makes me wonder why you're here," Elizabeth replied. "You never asked, so you don't know what my answer would have been."

"You'd not have refused me."

"We'll never know now, will we?" Elizabeth was happy that she was able to speak so levelly.

"Don't pretend with me, I know you," George told her. "You wanted to marry me."

"I think you should leave now."

"Don't tell me what to do," George said. "I'll leave when I'm good and ready." He took her arm; Elizabeth tried to shrug it off but failed.

Elizabeth and George were so taken up with each other that they were surprised to hear a voice say; "I believe she asked you to leave."

Darcy had entered the shop a few minutes after George, but Elizabeth and George had been too engrossed in their conversation to notice him.

Darcy had recently moved into the neighbourhood with his sister Georgiana. He had been to the shop at least thrice before; he'd noticed Elizabeth and was still working up the courage to talk to her, and in the meantime he'd bought three house plants and four bouquets of flowers. Georgie had told him to just man up and talk to her. but his timing had always been wrong until now.

"We're having a private conversation," George told him.

"She asked you to leave," Darcy reminded him.

George looked like he wanted to punch Darcy, but he let go of Elizabeth's arm and stalked out of the room.

"Thank you," Elizabeth told Darcy.

"You had it under control."

Elizabeth nodded and then took a good look at her saviour. "I've seen you here before," she told him, "you must love plants."

"I do." Add something more, he told himself. "I'm Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

"Elizabeth Bennet."

"So now that I saved your life, Elizabeth Bennet," he joked. "You know it now belongs to me."

"I wouldn't exactly use that expression."

"What would you say then?"

"You helped me out of a tight spot," Elizabeth replied. "Which as you pointed out earlier, I have gotten out of by myself."

"Me and my big mouth."

Jane and Mary entered through the back door.

"See you around, Elizabeth Bennet," Darcy smiled at her and walked out of the shop. He was very happy with his progress. At least now they'd been introduced.

000


End file.
